Radial-draft gear.



G. J. SCHULTZ. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR. uruonxox rmin IBM, 1911.

Patented Mar -11, 1913.

a SHEETSSHE E T 1.

INVENTOR G. J. SCHULTZ. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION lfiLnn PEI-3.6, 1911. 1,055,667

M fi

WITNESSES 0. J. SCHULTZ.'

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR. APPLIGATIONIILED $313.6, 1911.

Patented Mar.11,1913. I

w ad c 11-1 *1" "a c me If, do oLEeiAne l I sped-fiction at Letters Patent.

ee s-iteration filed February 8,

e nimown thetwnRL J. citizen of theUnitetlStetes, and resident of Cleve and in th coun'y of Quyehog's ,m d s and Gears,

1, clear, and exact description. r to the accompanying drewings forming par; of this specification, in which Figure l is a partial plan view oi my 1m proved radial draft gear partly in section. F 2 is sectional side elevation of the me; and A is a diagremmstic plan v ew iliustrating the principles of the invene on.

nection with the it.

My improvement consists in s construction in which the guiding connections are mounted on the draft m moer and which are actuated by the movements of the oer-truck, and in the relation of the various parts of the gear which E shell hereinafter describe.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 2 represents the car coupler, whose shsnlr 3 is provided with a long rearward extension 3, which may be made in one piece with the main portion of the shank, but is preferably e separate piece connected with the shank proper by a socket i, having opposite later-oi recesses in which connecting plates 5 are fixed, preferably by bolts 6, which pass through the plates and through the socket and contained coupler shank. These plates extend upwardly and serve to give floating connection between the coupler shank and the birffer mechanism.

The eiitension 3 is curved upwardly at its rear end and is connected by a, yoke or other suitable device 7 with a draft rigging 8, setbei-ween the silis of the car. A tail bolt may,

of course, be substituted for the yoke 7, and

w suitable form of dre'r'b rigging, whether frictional or otherwise, may be employed.

-The coupler shank extension is shown as having vertical pivot pin connecting it to c-snc, so immerses sssmssns em, oer-o, e oonsoiie'rioir or omo.

yoke i" so that when the car passes 'eroond curves the coupler and its shank swing re'clialiy on the axis of the pin 9.

The heifer 10 is of the "split shank type ii-ranged above and to be swung radially by the draft member and coupler. The buffer is provided at its. rear end with springs l1 and 12, of which the inner coil 12 1S considerebly the longer of the two end is always under compression to keep the'bufier constantly pushed forwerdto the limit of its movement and insure tight Contact between the opposing oer platforms. The

outer and heavier spring comes into action I e 'ter the buffer has'been moved rearwerdly a predetermined amount. These springs are iiiclosecl within a casing comprising two telescopin mg 14 has rearward extension with a forked guide portion 15, which fits over a radial guide segment 16, secured to the car trams.

Tliefclivided shank 10' of the platform buiier incloses and is supported by the'usual radial segment 1'5 which is'firml secured to the center silis and open which it slides in its redial movement.

The forward inclosing portion is or es telescoping casing is formed at its forward end withir reduced size filier portion 13, which its between and forms :1 specer'for the rear nd portion of the buffer shank. This portion 13* is preferably formed with tubular specing bosses 18, through which er.- tend securing bolts 19, which firmly clampf the buffer shank andthe telescoping casing together; the rear ends of the shank abutting against the iorward end of this casing proper. The lower leg of the divided platform buiier is provided with a depending hollow portion 20, to which is bolted a carry-iron 21, surrounding and supporting the shank of the coupler. The coupler is thus supported by and moved with the buffer in the radial movement. In this form the guiding con nect-ion arm 22 with its centering springs and attachments is not secured to the truck frame but to the radially swinging draft, member. This guiding arm 22 is pivoted by a vertical pin connection 23 to the front endof a stem 24, having an adjustable stop25, between which and a portion of'the bracket 26, secured to the draft member, are interposed the centering springs 27 and 28. The

parts 13 and 1%. The inner telescoparm 22 iswidened in its rear portion, as shown in 1, and its side rear portions are provided with sockets to receive the fulcrum portions 30 at the sides of the bracket. The arm is inclined or curved forwardly and downwardly and terminates in a ball portion 31, which fits within a corresponding socket 32. This socket member is preferably made in one piece with an open lower side, its lower portion having inwardly projecting lugs or guide flanges which slide under outwardly proiecting ribs, forming longitudinal uide portions of a casting or bracket secured to and pro ecting forwardly from the central portion of the truck frame.

In -sse1nbling the parts, the single piece socket is slipped down vertically over the ball portion of the arm, and after heing so arranged is slid rearwardly between the guides of the bractet casting on the truck me. i i hen this singlepiecesocket is in O tgei'nent with the guides upon the hracket and the gliliding connectionsare at tached to the draft member, it is impossible to disengage the ball-and-socket connection, since the socketcan only be released by an upward movement, which is prevented on account of its engagement with the longitudinal guides on the truck framdbracket.

lihe guiding arm 22 is normally held allel with the draft member and can only be displaced from alinement therewith by compression of the centering springs 27 and 28. Any movement of the arm 22 relative to the draft member causes a fulcruming action which will compress the springs. which, in turn, tend to return it to its normal 'alined position. T he sliding engagement of the socket member 32 with the truck frame guide allows the radially swinging. draft arm'with the attached parts to have longitudinal movement relative to the truck frame both in butting and in draft; while the truck frame, as the truck turnsin passing around curves, will guide the radially v swinging draft member laterally and bring the coupler to the center of the track by its engagement with the centering arm 22.

The yielding centering spring mechanism is used with the guiding connections, in order that a certain amount of independent or abnormal side play may be allowed for the draft member without bringing undue stress upon the parts, thus providing for the conditions which occur .when a car equipped with such radial draft gear is coupled to an ordinary car. In this case the centerof the socket connection between the arm 22 and the socket 32 is the actuating point hereinabovereferred to. The posi tion of this actuating point is determined in accordance with the diagram shown in Fi 3. In this figurethe point A is termed the coupling point, being the point where the point of the draft gear to the coupling point,

as indicated at a, a, and another vertical plane bisecting the truck at right angles thereto, as indicated at b, l), the intersection of these planes will give a vertical line in which the actuating point in the socket con.

nection between the guide arm 22 and the truck should lie. When this actuating point is thus located (except under abnormal deflection in the case of coupling with anold style car), the coupler will be accurately guided to the center of the track whether on a straight or curved portion of the track.

Of course the three points may also be located by fixing any two of them and similarly locating the third-by the system above described. That is, the actuating point C may be fixed, the coupling point fixed and the pivot of the draft gear then determined by the use of the planes. Similarly the pivotal point and the actuating point may be fixed and the coupling point then determined. It may not be possible in certain cases to make the pivotal point of the draft gear at the exact point placed by this system, but it should be placed as near this point as possible to give the desired results;

The advantages of my invention result from the application of the broad principle set forth in the patent of H. T Krakau No.

M7344, dated January 25, 1910 to a case where the intersection of the planes determines, not the point at which the guiding connections shall engage and actuate the draft member, but the point at which the guiding connections shall engage and be actuated by thetruck, or at which the draft member and truck shall engage each other directly.

My invention provides for proper action of the draft gear and coupling under all conditions, while the actuating engagement is not between the guiding connections and the draft member,

Manyvariations may be made in-the form of the draft gear, the guiding connections etc, without departing from my invention.

I claim I 1. In "a radial draft gear, a laterally swinging draft member pivotally mounted on a car, a guide-arm flexibly mounted on the draft member, the said guide-arm having a bearing on an inflexible portion of the truck, by which movement is transmitted from the truck to the draft member when the car is passing around a curve.

2. A radially swingingdraft member pivotally mounted on a car in the longitudinal cent-er line' thereof and in advance'of the truck center, said member being adapted to swing horizontally, and guiding connections flexibly mounted on the draft member and having a bearing on an inflexible portion of the truck by which movement is transmitted from the truck to the draft member when the car is passing around a curve, said bearing always lying substantially at the intersection of a vertical plane bisecting the truck at right angles and a vertical plane passing through the pivotal point of the draft gear and the coupling point, except when the draft member is abnormally deflected.

3. In a radial draft gear, a laterally swinging draft member, and a guiding arm secured to said member and having a yielding connection therewith, the forward end of said arm having a swinging and longitudinally sliding engagement with a portion of the truck frame, the point of connection of the said arm and the truck frame being forward of the forward axle of the truck, substantally as'descr'ibed.

4. In a radial draft gear, a guiding connection having a ball-and-socket joint with a one-piece socket held in place by longitudinal guideways, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CARL J. SCHULTZ;

Witnesses:

HARRY E. ORR, F. W. Swn ws'ron. 

